From His Fake Wife to Billionaire Heiress Chapter 171: Caught in the Rain

His blunt honesty caught Riley off guard, snuffing out all the polite small talk she had rehearsed.

She paused, looked up at him, and said flatly, "Wasn't it you who stopped picking up my calls first?"

Sebastian's expression froze.

For a moment, the air between them went still.

The tension in his eyes slowly melted into something more complicated, harder to decipher.

Finally, as if surrendering any attempt to hide it, he let out a bitter half-smile and admitted quietly, "Yeah. You're right.

"So I'll own it—that was a pretty crappy move."

Just then, a gust of wind rushed up the stairwell, carrying the damp scent of rain, and slammed the heavy fire door shut with a jarring thud.

Riley shivered from the draft.

She quickly turned the key and pushed her apartment door open.

"Come in."

She stepped aside to let him pass. As the entryway light flickered on, she bent down and pulled a pair of slippers from the shoe rack without looking up. "So," she said casually, "weren't you worried Lucas might be here again tonight?"

Sebastian didn't answer right away. He lingered in the doorway, his tall frame filling the space.

He watched her slip into her own house shoes, straighten up, and make no move to offer him any.

Riley acted as though she didn't notice his gaze. Once her shoes were on, she walked straight toward the living room, tossing over her shoulder, "Just come on in. If the floor gets dirty, I'll have the cleaning service deal with it tomorrow."

Sebastian's eyes held a heavy, unreadable weight. He stepped inside, his leather shoes clicking faintly against the hardwood floor.

His gaze swept discreetly across the entryway—and paused for just a second.

No other men's slippers in sight.

Not even for Lucas, her so-called husband.

That realization lightened his mood almost against his will. The corner of his mouth lifted in an almost imperceptible trace of a smile.

He followed her in and took a seat on the sofa.

Riley grabbed a can of Coke from the fridge and set it on the coffee table in front of him.

She poured herself a glass of water, then settled into the armchair opposite, keeping the table between them.

Steam curled gently from her glass. The room was softly lit, cozy—a stark contrast to the storm raging outside. And yet, inside, the silence felt thick, almost tangible.

For a while, neither of them spoke.

It was Sebastian who finally broke the quiet.

"I stopped by Ashford Group today," he said, his voice low but clear in the stillness. "You weren't there."

He paused, as if carefully weighing his words, his sharp eyes fixed on her.

"I'll be honest—I wasn't happy when I found out Lucas came over last night." His admission came out surprisingly plain, no filter. "But I also know you're still legally his wife. I don't... really have the right to say anything about it."

Riley's hand, holding her water glass, stilled for a second.

She looked up, curiosity flickering in her eyes. "Then why didn't you answer my call last night? Or even text me back?"

Frustration flashed across his handsome features.

"I really was in the shower when you called.

"After I got out, I did plan to call you back. But then I remembered something a buddy of mine once said—that playing a little hard to get every now and then keeps things interesting."

"Pfft—!"

Riley hadn't even swallowed her water. Sebastian's unbearably honest explanation made her choke mid-sip, nearly spraying it across the table.

She coughed violently, her face flushing, completely caught off guard by what she'd just heard.

Playing hard to get?

The CEO of Torres Group, when it came to dating, was actually taking advice straight out of some cheesy pickup playbook?

It took her a few seconds to catch her breath. When she finally looked back at him, he seemed genuinely awkward, even a little confused by her reaction—and suddenly, the whole thing struck her as absurdly funny.

Riley pressed her lips together to stifle a smile, cleared her throat, and went on, "So showing up at Ashford Group today without warning... was that your idea of a surprise visit?"

Sebastian pressed his lips into a thin line and stayed silent. The faint embarrassment in his eyes was answer enough.

This time, Riley couldn't hold back. A small, amused smile tugged at her mouth.

"Sebastian, your friend...

"You should stop listening to him. He's clearly giving you bad advice."

"Okay," he replied almost instantly, without a trace of his usual commanding tone. "Whatever you say."

Right then, a flash of lightning whitened the sky outside, followed by a long, rolling crack of thunder. The rain hammered harder against the windows.

On the TV, a news anchor was reporting in a calm, professional tone. "Due to severe thunderstorm activity, multiple major roadways across the city are experiencing significant delays and closures..."

It was clear Sebastian wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

Riley set her glass down, met his eyes, and asked, "Have you eaten dinner?"

"No," he answered plainly.

Hearing that, she felt an unexpected twinge of guilt.